9 hrs ago
Election Chief Takes Responsibility for Electoral Roll Shortcomings, Praises BLOs
Gyanesh Kumar leads India’s Election Commission.
He said he would take responsibility if voter lists have mistakes.
He praised Booth Level Officers, or BLOs, for keeping the lists accurate.
BLOs visit homes and speak with voters to check information.
They help add people who have turned 18 and can vote.
They also look for people who are absent, have moved, have died, are listed twice or are foreigners.
Kumar said political parties and candidates’ agents can check the election process at several stages.
He explained that voting machines and paper-verification systems are checked before and after voting.
He said these steps help make elections more transparent.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said responsibility for any electoral-roll shortcomings rests with him.
Kumar credited Booth Level Officers with keeping voter rolls accurate and updated.
More than 11 lakh BLOs serve around 90 crore voters across India.
BLOs verify voter information, identify ASDDF cases and help add newly eligible voters.
Kumar said EVM and VVPAT procedures include checks by candidates’ agents before voting, after polling and during counting.
- Who
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer Sandeep Sagale and Booth Level Officers.
- What
- Kumar discussed electoral-roll accuracy, BLO responsibilities and safeguards involving EVMs and VVPATs.
- Where
- Gujarat University’s Atal Kalam Hall in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
- When
- Friday; the article does not provide a calendar date.
- Why
- To improve the accuracy of electoral rolls, add eligible voters and explain election-process safeguards.
Key facts
- Chief Election Commissioner
- Gyanesh Kumar
- Booth Level Officers
- More than 11 lakh BLOs work across India.
- Voters covered
- The electoral process involves around 90 crore voters.
- Roll verification
- BLOs verify information and identify Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Foreigner voters.
- Eligible voters
- Every eligible Indian citizen aged 18 or above should be included in the electoral roll.
- Revision process
- Special Intensive Revision includes home visits, document verification, mapping and hearings.
- Election safeguards
- EVM results are checked against Form 17C during counting in the presence of candidates’ agents.
Quotes
Gyanesh Kumar
Chief Election Commissioner of India
“More than 11 lakh BLOs are working across the country to facilitate an electoral process involving the rights and expectations of around 90 crore voters. The Election Commission is using training programmes, meetings and digital platforms such as ECI-Net to maintain regular communication with its field-level personnel.”
thehansindia.com
“Whenever you get time, check the electoral roll in your area and complete the necessary process to ensure that the names of young people who have completed 18 years of age are added to the electoral roll. This is the greatest service to the democracy of the country.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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